The fear, anxiety and uncertainty of the future have shaped the composers values as well as their perspective

of their own society Frankenstein exhibits the fear, anxiety and uncertainty of the future stemming from the composer, Mary Shelleys values during the early 19th century, expressed using Gothic and Romantic ideas. Further, her perspective of her own society is deeply enmeshed in the Age of Enlightenment science. Similar notions are conveyed in Blade Runner, a 1983 film directed by Ridley Scott, whose own values and perspective of society have been altered by the vision of an uncertain future arising from the cold war era and the corporatisation of science. These texts share core ideas about the flawed responsibilities of humans as creators and the destructive potential of abusing science. They demonstrate the transcendence of both composers values through context, due to the uncertainty about the future of their societies which are on the verge of social change. In Frankenstein, Shelley highlights her fears of the illegitimacy of mankind to employ their scientific powers during the industrial revolution due to the innate selfishness of humans flawing their responsibility as creators. This is reflected through the contrast of values between Frankensteins childhood experiences to his poor treatment of his creation, the monster. While Frankenstein hyperbolically states that his parents were agents and creators of all the many delights in his childhood, this is a stark juxtaposition to the following, Wretched devil! You reproach me with your creation; come on then may I extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed. Shelley ironically associates the monster with the devil through this recurring gothic motif, while the intensity of Victors hatred and unwillingness to accept responsibility as the monsters creator positions him as more devilish than his creation. Therefore, Shelley correlates Victors selfish reluctance to assume responsibility as a creator with the degraded morals in the Enlightenment period, solidifying humanity as illegitimate to play the role of god. Hence, the fear of mans failure to properly consider the consequences of their scientific explorations during the industrial revolution shapes Shelleys negative perspective of the future. Similarly, in Blade Runner, Scott depicts his fear and uncertainty of the future by developing the idea of the failure of humans as creators through the characterisation of Dr. Tyrell. Tyrell exerts a powerful dominance over the dystopian Los Angeles city through his exploitation of science and commercial

power. This is exemplified when he states Commerce is our goal at Tyrell Rachael is an experiment, nothing more, with a close-up of his emotionless facial expression. This quotation conveys the apathetic attitude of Tyrell towards his creation, Rachael, explicating the selfish and flawed sense of responsibility that Scott fears mankind will possess with an increasingly unethical economic paradigm. Through a dehumanised portrayal of Tyrell, Scott reflects the contextual concerns of the power struggle involved in the cold war and the potentially subverted socio-economic values. The rise of laissez faire capitalism is further depicted in the meeting of the maker scene. Here Scott utilises sound effects of the computer generated secretary voice, combined with a mid shot highlighting the white curtains and candles in Tyrells bedroom. The mis-en-scene emphasises the luxurious lifestyle in which Dr. Tyrell resides in contrast to the dystopian metropolis of Los Angeles, ironically portraying him as a god-like figure. Hence, Tyrells characterisation solidifies Scotts values about the flawed responsibilities of humans as creators due to societys obsession with progress. Furthermore, Shelleys novel exhibits her personal values about the destructive potential of abusing science, conveying her fears in response to Enlightenment science. This fear is demonstrated through Frankensteins degraded psychological state following the creation of his monster. The bolt has entered my soul; and I felt then that I should survive to exhibit what I shall soon cease to be a miserable spectacle of wrecked humanity. The personified bolt entering Victors soul is symbolic of the corrupted values during the Industrial revolution where the repercussions of unethical and excessive scientific exploration are ignored. Moreover, Shelleys use of romantic imagery depicts the sublime natural environment whilst disconnecting the monster from its surroundings. The monster thus becomes a metaphor for the adulteration of nature by scientific abuse. The labours I endured were no longer to be alleviated by the bright sun or gentle breezes of springI was not made for the enjoyment of pleasure. Here, the monster irrevocably states his predicament, accentuated through Shelleys association of the creature with harsh gothic treatment and the juxtaposed romantic background. The monster, a destructive product from the abuse of Enlightenment science, is Shelleys allusion of the fear and uncertainty of her future society if mankind was to pursue its scientific path.

Additionally, Ridley Scott represents his perspective of his modern western society using neo-noir cinematography, portraying the destructive potential of abusing science through the replicants themselves. The full repercussions of playing-God by creating human replicants are not fully conceived until their murderous intent is alighted. In the Voight-Kampff test scene on the replicant, Leon, Scott depicts the true corruption of technology through the brutal, coldblooded killing of the Blade Runner, Holden. The mise-en-scene of a dark, gloomy roomy and a large table with Leon and Holden sitting at opposite ends creates a foreboding atmosphere. This is coupled with sound effects of heartbeats to increase tension, climaxing with the barbaric killing of Holden by Leon. Scotts characterisation of the replicants highlights his concerns of the fatal use of excessive science to advance the world. This can be seen to parallel the context of the Cold war where the mass development of nuclear weapons struck fear that it could potentially cause a nuclear holocaust. Further complicating this uncertainty was the declining importance of religion and ethical values during this period. Tyrell himself ironically reflects the dangers of humanitys obsession with progress stating that To make an alteration in the evolvements of an organic life system is fatal. Through this dialogue, Scott reinforces his changing perspective of his Cold War society due to civilisations abuse of science to gain power. Ultimately, threatening scientific exploration in their respective context shapes Shelley and Scotts cynical views of the future. In Frankenstein, the flawed responsibility of humans as creators as well as the destructive potential of abusing science reflects Shelleys values and her perspective of the industrial future during the Age of Enlightenment. Scott expresses similar notions within Blade Runner, his values shaped by the cold war era and the mass corporatisation of science, reinforcing that the fears and uncertainty of societal change transcends context.